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For former US Air Force Thunderbirds’ commander and demonstration leader JV Venable, inspiring teamwork was literally a matter of life and death. On maneuvers like the one pictured on the cover, the distance between jets was just eighteen inches. Closing the gaps to sustain that kind of separation requires the highest levels of trust.

On the ground or in the air, from line supervisor to CEO, we all face the same challenge. Our job is to entice those we lead to close the gaps that slow the whole team down—gaps in commitment, loyalty, and trust. Every bit of closure requires your people to let go of biases and mental safeguards that hold them back. The process the Thunderbirds use to break that barrier and craft the highest levels of trust on a team with an annual turnover of 50 percent is nothing short of phenomenal. That process is packaged here with tips and compelling stories that will help you build the team of a lifetime.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As a leader in situations that are literally life-or-death, JV brings street cred to the challenge of leading high-performance teams. His examples come from the physics of close-formation aerial maneuvers and the incredibly small tolerances that make the difference between good and extraordinary. With quiet humor and humility, he uses those stories to offer insight and actionable advice leader to leader.”—Mark E. White, Principal, Global Consulting Chief Technology Officer, Deloitte Consulting, LLP

“JV does an amazing job of sharing powerful real-life examples that we can implement in our organizations. A fascinating read that delivers a message so powerful yet practical. This book should be required reading for all leaders looking to take their teams to new heights!”—Bob Korzeniewski, Executive Vice President for Strategic Development, Verisign Inc., 2000-2007

“Even though this was written by the ‘competition,’ I found Breaking the Trust Barrier to be a great read. JV delivers a powerful message in a way that will stay with you and your team for years to come. Drafting is not just a process for building and leading high-performance teams; it’s a pathway to success.”—Rob “Ice” Ffield, Blue Angels Flight Leader/Commanding Officer, 2001–2002, and President and CEO, CATSHOT Group, LLC

“Breaking the Trust Barrier is a leader’s must-read! JV masterfully combines his Air Force experiences with thoughtful insights from commanding the world-famous Thunderbirds to create a road map for building real trust. He talks so honestly about commitment, loyalty, and trust that his message easily translates to any business or leadership environment. I honestly can’t wait to apply much of what I have read with my own team.”—Dennis M. Satyshur, Director of Golf Operations, Caves Valley Golf Club

“JV clearly articulates the key to his success leading multiple organizations and gives readers a glimpse of the challenge, excitement, and emotion of leading a high-performance jet demonstration team. I followed JV in command of the Thunderbirds and was able to build on the principles he established. Leaders at all levels will fi nd this book inspiring, practical, and helpful in accelerating their leadership skills.”—Richard “Spad” McSpadden, Commander/Leader, USAF Thunderbirds, 2002–2004, and Senior Director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

“Multiple commands and his stint as the lead pilot of the USAF Thunderbirds have given Colonel JV Venable powerful insights that he has captured in Breaking the Trust Barrier. His imagery will sear the themes of this book in your memory. His conception of trust is striking, memorable, and entirely new to the literature of leadership.”—Dr. Charles Ping, President Emeritus, Ohio University

“Captivating stories within Breaking the Trust Barrier make the process you’ll find inside absolutely indelible. This is an inspiring book and, if you’re like me, you’ll start putting JV’s techniques to work the moment you set it down. Whether you’re a senior executive or just getting your footing as a leader, this is a must-read!”—Linda Chambliss, Vice President, Global Account Operations, STARTEK

Book Description

All team leaders worry and wonder about improving team performance. Using his experience leading the precision Thunderbirds aerobatic team, Venable shows that "closing the gaps" is the job of leaders and followers alike.

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There are a lot of books on leadership, but this is unique in being by a decorated Air Force officer who led the elite Thunderbird aerial acrobatic team. They not only had to follow him, with wingtip to wingtip, they had to have total trust in his leadership when his slightest millisecond twitch could send them all hurtling into the earth at near supersonic speed in what is euphemistically called CFIT ("controlled flight into terrain"). Hence, the unusual reference to trust in the title of the book, a feature that is missing in most other books on leadership.

The title could also appropriately be called "closing the gap", because most f the chapters focus on closing the gaps in confidence, respect, passion, integrity, and other essential elements that together can make men follows up to the very edge of the abyss.

He illustrates his points with anecdotes from his career: The colonel who was erratic beyond prediction, a sergeant recruiter who was stumbling badly, the four Thunderbirds who tragically dove into the ground together a few years before. These were so interesting I wished there had been even more.

There's a glossary in the back for those terrestrials not used to Air Force lingo, but what the heck is a "near vertical whifferdill" on p. 171 ?

JV Venable's new book dives into the lessons he learned as an Air Force officer - both good and bad - and how they helped shape the leadership style that he would implement over his amazing career. His unique perspective of practical, yet powerful, ways to develop a high performance team grabbed me from page 1 and I devoured the book in a single setting. I have read a lot of books on leadership and never found one so hard to put down. I loved the examples of leaders that mentored him and how their advice adjusted his career "flight path". His perspective on the key pillars of life (faith, family, friends, health & work) and the importance of connecting with your team across multiple pillars opened my eyes to the power of a deeper connection. One that truly builds commitment, loyalty and eventually trust. JV grabbed the reigns as the Commander of the Thunderbirds and through his leadership empowered a team to set aspirational goals and then blow each way. Every reader can walk away with five new ideas to implement in their own way and every team can get excited about the chance to draft from each other in ways they have never done before.

I read JV's book because, as a former Air Force Test Pilot, I have been at the center of high-risk flights that demand precision in parts of an aircraft's flight envelope where no one has ever been before. This requires an extraordinary amount of trust among all the team members, similar to what he describes in his career. He examines the concept of trust with a fresh approach and with vignettes about his personal experiences in the pressure cooker of air power operations. Most of us will never be in that kind of environment, but the remarkable thing about the book is that he presents his ideas in ways that resonate at a fundamental human level, which makes them applicable to any leader-follower scenario. The book is a comfortable read and, since we all assume leadership roles in some parts of our daily lives and follower roles in other parts, I strongly recommend it to just about everyone. As JV himself might say, you invested a certain amount of trust in me by reading this far in my review; I will not break that trust by recommending anything less than an excellent book.

I have read many books on leadership over the years and while many share some common themes, few have captured the essence of leadership and been as captivating as this book. The stories JV tells illuminate the leadership lessons to make them memorable and useful. This is a practical book that translates to all who lead or aspire to lead. Examples about setting the “edge”, gaining respect and trust and leading by your principles highlight the challenges of building a cohesive team and the rewards of doing so. My book is now covered with scribbled notes and highlights as I will use to remind myself that while it is often difficult to lead, when done correctly the draft will accelerate everyone’s performance. A great and memorable read. Larry Gallogly

Of the hundreds of leadership books I have read and referenced over the years, this book stands out as exceptional, if not exemplary. The thread that runs through John Venable's work is humility and a commitment to help others lead. He doesn't just talk about what works, he uses good and bad, and interesting, examples, including his own leadership growth, to instruct and encourage. John also offers a good deal of credit to others as leadership examples, and in those descriptions, further reinforces that leadership is never about one's own individual engagement. Leadership is about selfless commitment to excellence and encouraging, guiding and building high-performance teams. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, found relevance to my own day-to-day leadership challenges and growth, and highly recommend this book to those committed to leadership improvement.Bruce Wright, LtGen, USAF (Retired)

Serving with John on a couple of volunteer efforts, I have witnessed his leadership ability with enough appreciation to ask him with confidence to fill in for me when I was traveling. After reading "Breaking the Trust Barrier," I now know that I was just "drafting" behind him - he knows leadership and is willing to help others learn that valuable ability. I learned from the book - and bought extra copies to share with my team.Larry Meyers

Great book for leaders who want to maximize the efficiency of their organization! Packed with real-world scenarios of leadership challenges. JV translates his experiences into a very comprehensive guide for leaders in any industry. Not only is this book informative, but the author’s use of imagery puts you right in the clouds with him. Easy read and at some points even poetic.